Hitherto the disposal of clinical waste materials has been confined generally to incineration. Apart from being environmentally unacceptable in terms of CO.sub.2, CO, NOx, SO.sub.2, halogenated hydrocarbon and dioxin emissions, this form of disposal of waste materials has not been proven safe in that average incineration temperatures may not be great enough to destroy biologically active materials present in the clinical wastes. Furthermore, during the start up of an incineration phase, before effective temperatures are reached, there may occur emissions of bacteria and caner microorganisms and pathogenic material generally.
Similarly, disposal of quarantine wastes such as foodstuffs and plant specimens is usually carried out by incineration with the same degree of uncertainty as to the possibility of release of active plant and animal pathogens to the atmosphere.
Sewerage sludges and putrescible organic food waste materials are usually buried in urban land fill sites with significant risk of release c gaseous pathogens to the atmosphere, but, more importantly, it is known that such organic materials decompose to release large quantities of methane gas, a known contributor to the "greenhouse effect".
Apart from incineration or burying in urban landfill sites, there presently exists no known biologically and environmentally safe method of disposal of wastes including organic materials which may include, or generate during decomposition, biologically threatening consequences.